About

Four translations of Villon's "Ballade de bonne doctrine a ceux de mauvaise vie" (~1461)

Ballad of Good Doctrine To Those of Evil Life (H. De Vere stacpoole, 1914)

Ye who be smugglers of papal bulls,Or cheaters at dice, whatever be ye --Coiners who risk life and limb like fools,Then boil in hot oil for their felony,Traitors disloyal -- ye know who ye be --Stealers of jewels, of perfume and pearls:So where goes it all, that ye get in fee?All to the taverns and to the girls.

Rhyming and jesting, cymbals and lutes --Don ye these emblems of minstrelsy.Farce and imbroglio, music of flutes --Try these in hamlets or Gay Paree.Go mumming in masque or mystery,Win money at cards, or at ninepin hurls.But 'tis of no use1 It'll flow, hear ye me,All to the taverns and to the girls.

Ye shrink before such a hard-knocks school --Play safe, then, with honester husbandry:Of horses be grooms, go tend to a mule,Plow ye the fields, here and there plant a tree.And should ye be short on Latinity,As lowly in learning as poor pleasant churls,Just work, lest your hard-earned pennies fleeAll to the taverns and to the girls.

Envoi:

Your stockings and doublets, your fine drapery,Every last rag that around ye furls,Ere ye be done, will have slipped, ye shall see,All to the taverns and to the girls.

V's Straight Tip to all Cross Coves (W.E. Henley, late 19th century)

Suppose you screeve? or go cheap-jack?Or fake the broads? Or fig a nag?Or thimble-rig? Or knap a yack?Or pitch a snide? or smash a rag?Suppose you duff? or nose and lag?Or get the straight, and land your pot?How do you melt the multy swag?Booze and the blowens cop the lot.

Fiddle, or fence, or mace, or mack;Or moskeneer, or flash the drag;Dead-lurk a crib, or do a crack;Pad with a slang, or chuck a fag;Bonnet, or tout, or mump and gag;Rattle the tats, or mark the spot;You cannot bank a single stag;Booze and the blowens cop the lot.

Suppose you try a different tack,And on the square you flash your flag?At penny-a-lining make your whack,Or with the mummers mug and gag?For nix, for nix the dibbs you bag!At any graft, no matter what,Your merry goblins soon stravag:Booze and the blowens cop the lot.

The Moral:

It's up the spout and Charley Wagwith wipes and tickers and what not.Until the squeezer nips your scrag,Booze and the blowens cop the lot.

Explanations of the slang terms appearing in the translation above may be found at this link:

SMUGGLE indulgences, as you may: Cog the dice for your cheating throws.Try if counterfeit coin will pay,At the risk of losing your ears and nose :Deal but in treason, lie and glose,Rob and ravish : what profits it ?Where do you think the money goes ?Taverns and wenches, every whit.

Flute and juggle and cymbals play :Follow the mountebanks and their shows :Along with the strolling players stray,That wander whither God onlv knows :Act mysteries, farces, imbroglios :Gain money by cards or a lucky hitAt the pins : however if s got, it goes :Taverns and wenches, every whit.

Turn from your evil courses, I pray.That smell so foul in a decent nose :Earn your bread in some honest way.If you have no letters, nor verse nor prose,Plough or groom horses for food and clothes.Enough shall you have if you stick to it:But throw not your wage to each wind that blows :Taverns and wenches, every whit.

Whether you counterfeit your brassand end so oiled you boil and bake;traitors whose credit wouldn't pass;or peddle pardons; learn to shakethe loaded dice; or maybe taketo filching in and out of doors - where does it go, the money you make?All to the taverns and the whores.

Rhyme or rail or clash your brass,like shameless fools that always fake;mime, mum, or try some magic pass;or if in towns and cities, makemiracles, mysteries, jigs; or takea trick or two or skittle scores - soon gained, soon gone! (You still awake?)All to the taverns and the whores.

If depths like these are not your class,then plough up fields or drive a rake;or turn to doctoring horse and ass.But only if you cannot taketo book and pen. A crust you'll make.Yet if you've slaved at prison choresyou haven't lifted loot to takeall to the taverns and the whores.

Envoi

Before you do much worse then, taketrousers and shoes and all that's yours,gowns and the silks for your own sakeall to the taverns and the whores.

Yet another translation (by some Edwardian called A.Lang, dated 1911, found on archive.org)

Nay, be you pardoner or cheat, Or cogger keen, or mumper shy, You'll burn your fingers at the feat, And howl like other folks that. fry. All evil folks that love a lie ! And where goes gain that greed amasses, By wile, and trick, and thievery ? 'Tis all to taverns and to lasses !

Rhyme, rail, dance, play the cymbals sweet, With game, and shame, and jollity, Go jigging through the field and street, With my s fry and morality ; Win gold at gleek, and that will fly, Where all you gain at passage passes, And that's ? You know as well as I, 'Tis all to taverns and to lasses'

Nay, forth from all such filth retreat, Go delve and ditch, in wet or dry, Turn groom, give horse and mule their meat, If you've no clerkly skill to ply ; You'll gain enough, with husbandry, But sow hempseed and such wild grasses, And where goes all you take thereby ? "Tis all to taverns and to lasses"

ENVOY.

Your clothes, your hose, your broidery, Your linen that the snow surpasses, Or ere they're worn, off, off they fly, 'Tis all to taverns and to lasses'

The challenges of translating this poem are beautifully discussed in Chapter 7 of Douglas Hofstadter's book on translation "Le Ton beau de Marot". All but the Payne translation are taken from that book.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.